U.S. House of Representatives Passes Travel Promotion Act

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Travel Promotion Act of 2008 by voice vote. The bill establishes a public-private partnership to promote the U.S. as an international destination. Travel promotion would be paid for by private-sector contributions and by a head tax on foreign travelers who don’t pay $131 for a visa. The Travel Promotion Act now moves along to the Senate.

“The U.S. House of Representatives took decisive action today to jump-start America's struggling economy and create thousands of new jobs by passing the Travel Promotion Act,” said Roger Dow, CEO of the Travel Industry Association. “We now call on the U.S. Senate to act quickly to reverse the decline in overseas visitation to the United States and utilize the power of travel to strengthen the American economy.”